Postgraduate Course Animal Behaviour Technician

• WORLDWIDE: wherever you live in the world, you are welcome to join this course.
• ONLINE: this course is offered online: study anywhere, anytime!
• ENGLISH: this course is offered in English (Dutch is possible for workshops and some assessments).
• OPTIONAL SPECIES: you study the welfare and behaviour of dogs and cats and you choose one optional species, being horse or small mammals.
• You can choose to register for individual modules. Contact us for more information.

You will obtain a lot of theoretical knowledge, as well as practical skills. At the end of the course this will be your profile:

• You have an in-depth understanding of the normal behaviour, behavioural needs and welfare of companion animals
• You have the expertise to provide prophylactic behavioural advice to owners/handlers/keepers
• You have the expertise to assess the behaviour and welfare of companion animals
• You have the theoretical knowledge to diagnose behaviour problems and to compose behaviour modification programs for behaviour problems resulting from a lack of  or inappropriate learning experiences.
  Not included in the course is the required expertise to diagnose and treat pathological behaviour problems. This means you cannot treat companion animals with abnormal  behaviour as a result of emotional disorder or mental health issues.
• You have the practical handling and training skills to implement behaviour modification programs in practice
• You have professional skills in client counseling and effective communication

With these skills you will be able to work as a qualified Animal behaviour technician!

In the first year you work on the modules 1-2-3-4 (22 ECTS). In the second year you continue with the modules 5-6-7 (18 ECTS).

You can read more on the content of each module in the ECTS-files.

Language

In the ABT-course all lectures are in English. However, you can take your multiple choice exam in Dutch. We will try to form Dutch-spreaking groups for the workshops and you can submit your assignment in Dutch if the corrector is Dutch-speaking.

• You are (or will be) working in the animal care sector, with responsibility for planning and managing the prevention of welfare and behaviour problems and humane approaches to the treatment of behaviour problems. This involves understanding, evaluating and addressing inappropriate or problematic behaviours within individual animals, through the development of suitable environments and effective training programs based on scientific evidence and best practice.
• You might be working with animals and their owners in a preventive context. For example in a veterinary practice by organizing consultations for puppy or kitten owners or conduct behavioural consultation to prevent or treat problem behaviours related to a lack of or inappropriate learning experiences. 
• You might be working in an animal shelter and monitor the behaviour and welfare of the animals under your care, develop programs to increase the animals’ welfare and adoption chances.
• You coach the staff, volunteers, foster parents and adopters. You might run your own behavourial referral clinic, to treat behaviour problems, provide training classes and rehabilitation training.

Under the supervision of your tutors you practice and develop your skills in animal handling and training.  You conduct cases studies to practice your skills in animal behaviour training and the composition and communication of effective and feasible behaviour programs.  Five virtual workshop days are scheduled during the first year and five during the second year of the course.

We work on the following items:

• Interpreting animal behaviour using real life videos on animal behaviour
• Animal handling through analysing videos and feedback on your own handling skills.
• Animal training through analysing videos and feedback on your own training skill while teaching an animal specific behaviours.
• Composing training programs.
• Giving animal training instructions.